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Washing fruits and vegetables. Seriously, what's the point?

Serious question. Why wash them? I get in case of tomatoes and they all look clean. They are all coated with "food safe wax" so running them under water is pointless since wax is a water repellent. Even if they are covered in salmonella rinsing them only dilutes the nasty. They would still be contaminated. I'm not talking about things like leeks or muddy radishes but things like tomatoes, eggplant, apples, etc.

Serious question. Why wash them? I get in case of tomatoes and they all look clean. They are all coated with "food safe wax" so running them under water is pointless since wax is a water repellent. Even if they are covered in salmonella rinsing them only dilutes the nasty. They would still be contaminated. I'm not talking about things like leeks or muddy radishes but things like tomatoes, eggplant, apples, etc.

Is it just mental?

-AJ

PS I don't wash chicken either. CDC agrees with me on that.

It may be different for restaurant supplies, but most produce in grocery stores has already been rinsed many times since leaving the field...and most Kroger stores rinse them several times/day with an automated system. I think it not a fruitful (heh) activity.

As someone who has first hand experience with working on a produce farm (we owned strawberry fields) or in a packing house you'll change your mind about not washing your veggies. I spent time around tomato packing houses in the 90's and I can tell you first hand that they are some of the dirtiest places on earth. Our fields teamed with rodents and all the animals that ate them,bug, snakes, etc.

You are also expecting that the sanitary measures that the packing houses are 100%, all the time- again not the case. There's a reason that people get e-coli and salmonella poisoning every year in spite of the measures taken.

I rinse fruit and vegetables but i want to know if it is really necessary. I understand what you are saying but that means the e-coli is underneath the wax on the tomato. So in that case rinsing wouldn't do anything. If it's on the outside then you only dilute the e-coli not wash it away.

Is there a logic driven reason for rinsing or is it just a mental feel good thing?

I think they hose down veg in the stores to add weight to them. I got the stink eye from the produce guy once for shaking the lettuce to get the excess water out. "Produce misting has begun please stand back . . ." in a pig's titty!!

I think they hose down veg in the stores to add weight to them. I got the stink eye from the produce guy once for shaking the lettuce to get the excess water out. "Produce misting has begun please stand back . . ." in a pig's titty!!

that too...with some produce (celery and lettuces in particular) this keeps them plump, crisp, and fresh...obviously that plays right into weight.